Chattanooga, Tenn. (Oct. 1, 2026) – Most people create their jack-o’-lanterns at the kitchen table, but at the Tennessee Aquarium, pumpkins get an annual holiday makeover in a much-wetter workspace.
The process begins with many of the same supplies, including a pumpkin (of course) and a serrated knife. Then, the gear list gets a little more … exotic: a wetsuit, mask, gloves and SCUBA suit.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, two costumed divers plunged into the Aquarium’s Tennessee River exhibit and put their masterful knife skills on display as the Aquarium kicked off ODDtober, its annual celebration of the weird and wonderful side of nature.
Throughout ODDtober (the month of October) underwater carving demonstrations will take place on Saturdays at 2 p.m. The Aquarium’s aquatic artisans will alternate dive sites between the Tennessee River and River Giants exhibits on odd and even numbered days, respectively. Both exhibits are in the Aquarium’s River Journey building.
These weekly events are just a small sampling of the ODDtober fun awaiting guests this month.
The new Scuttlebutt Reef gallery opened in March in the Ocean Journey building. The Aquarium’s newest addition is home to some of the ocean’s weirdest and most misunderstood inhabitants. Among other oddities, guests wandering the gallery will see glow-in-the-dark Chain Catsharks, suction-cup like Lumpsuckers and sinuous, double-jawed Moray Eels.
While venturing through the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings, visitors will discover seasonal décor and fun, ODDtober-themed programs.
During “Bones in the Bayou,” a daily program in the Delta Country gallery, educators will let guests get hands-on with the skulls of Alligator Snapping Turtles or American Alligators to learn about life in the swamp. Meanwhile, “Rumors of the Reef” in the Scuttlebutt Reef gallery will explore and debunk some of the most common myths about marine life.
Don’t forget to ask for a glow-in-the-dark ODDtober sticker in the gift shop (while supplies last)!
This year, ODDtober coincides with the introduction of an exciting new virtual reality experience in the River Journey building. Beginning Friday, Oct. 9, the Undersea Explorer VR experience from IMMOTION Entertainment will place viewers inside immersive short films featuring spectacular underwater visuals filmed on location worldwide.
The VR experience is located at the end of the Tennessee River gallery. The debut selection of add-on virtual adventures lets guests travel to aquatic sites all over the planet:
- Dolphins of the Reef explores the unique bond between a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins and their surrounding coral reefs.
- Flight of the Mantas examines how marine conservation scientists are working to protect the giant Manta Rays of Mozambique.
- Shark Dive lets viewers get up close and personal with Tiger Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks.
- Swimming with Humpbacks places viewers alongside titantic Humpback mothers and their calves in the blue waters off Tonga.
VR experiences are $8 for general admission guests and $6 for Aquarium Members.
ODDtober also brings a new adult-themed Aquarium event: Octo-berfest, a 21+ Oktoberfest after-hours celebration on Friday, Oct. 9, with Oktoberfest-style beers, German pretzels and seasonal decorations. Further details and advance tickets available at tickets.tnaqua.org/events/01a08815-fb78-ce56-482d-b867e50ec27f
For family-friendly fun, Aquascarium, the Aquarium’s spooky (but not TOO spooky) Halloween celebration will take place 4–8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. Tickets are $10 for Aquarium Members and $45 for general admission. Aquascarium regularly sells out and tickets must be purchased in advance at https://tickets.tnaqua.org/events/01a03384-d0f5-400f-f981-aaf46eb6f28e
Hear more from the Aquarium’s experts about nature’s oddities and wonders via special ODDtober-themed episodes of the Aquarium’s official podcast, The Podcast Aquatic. This month’s episodes will include discussions about toothy crocodilians, animals that trick and treat and an explanation for the sudden invasion of long-legged Joro Spiders to the Southeast. Learn more at tnaqua.org/podcast
Visitors during ODDtober can combine admission to two iconic Chattanooga attractions for a single, reduced price with the Tennessee Aquarium + Rock City combo ticket. This bundle offers same-day admission to both sites for $64 for adults and $54 for youth ages 4–17. Combo tickets are only available for purchase online at tnaqua.org/rock-city-combo-tickets
After exploring ODDtober at the Aquarium, Rock City visitors can take a storybook adventure through its enchanted pumpkin patch, with four enchanted trails and a jack-o’-lantern display through Saturday, Oct. 31.
ODDtober at the Aquarium is sponsored by Food City. Learn more about ODDtober at tnaqua.org/visit/oddtober/